Roper Whitney's metal hand punch, made in Rockford, named top tool by Popular Mechanics

Adam Poulisse Staff writer @adampoulisse

Thursday

Nov 2, 2017 at 10:18 PMNov 2, 2017 at 10:53 PM

ROCKFORD — You know the hole punches we have in our offices to punch holes in paper? Take that concept and apply it to metal.

For 104 years, that's been the function of the Roper Whitney No. 5 Junior Hand Punch, a handheld tool that provides a quick, easy way to punch holes in metal.

More than a century later, Roper Whitney, located at 2833 Huffman Blvd., still manufactures about 8,000 hand punches a year. Lately, Roper Whitney and its tool have gotten national attention.

Popular Mechanics magazine named Roper Whitney's No. 5 Junior Kit Hand Punch as one of its "handy tools" in the publication's November issue, calling them "modern heirlooms waiting to be passed down. But only after you exhaust their possibilities."

"A great tool does more than cut or tighten. It endures," the magazine says in the introduction to its centerpiece spread, with an enlarged photo of the hand punch on the opposite page. "In 104 years we haven't found a better way to put a hole in metal by hand. Like all the tools (in this article), (the Roper Whitney No. 5 Junior Kit Hand Punch is) stunning in both form and utility."

Staff at Roper Whitney, which employs 75 people throughout its 105,000 square-foot building, says they're proud their product is getting national attention, and expect it to drum up business as the hand punch appears on more Christmas lists across the country.

"It's nice to see a product you make get a little bit of recognition," said Greg Parkinson, director of purchasing and administration for Roper Whitney.

A Roper Whitney hand punch generally costs around $86. They are lightweight — about four and a half pounds — but can apply 1.2 tons of punching force into metal to make holes as big as 16-gage in mild steel. The die casts come from Chicago, Iowa and Wisconsin, but the machining and assembly happens in Rockford.

Though the hand punches can be ordered directly from the store, they are traditionally sold through distribution. Cindy VanderWaal said it didn't take long after the Popular Mechanics piece for the company to get more phone calls.

"There's a resurgence in, 'Buy American made,'" she said. "People ask if it's made in America. It has good craftsmanship; you buy it once and you never have to buy it again."

But the hand punch isn't the kind of item you need to stock up on, sales representative John Yeruski said — one generally lasts a lifetime.

"Many different people and different businesses use this tool today for a variety of different things," Yeruski said. "We talk to second- and third-generation (customers) who share stories about how they inherited it from their father or great-grandfather."

Roper Whitney was bought by Tennsmith, a sheet metal fabricating and forming machinery company based in McMinnville, Tennessee in 2013, at a time when Roper Whitney was struggling.

"They literally saved an American institution," VanderWaal said.

Tennsmith did not return calls seeking comment.

Grainger Industrial Supply and McMaster-Carr are some of the companies who use the tool.

Guy Spinello owns I. Spinello Locksmiths, 225 S. Sixth St. His company has used the same Roper Whitney hole punch for 40 years.

"It's not something we use every day, but it's such a handy tool and punches through metal," Spinello said. "It's an amazing tool, and it's not something we bought yesterday. It's enduring."

Adam Poulisse: 815-987-1344; apoulisse@rrstar.com; @adampoulisse

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